1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an integrated diagnosis and prognosis system that collects vehicle information over an entire vehicle life-cycle and, more particularly, to an integrated diagnosis and prognosis system that collects vehicle information from vehicles over their entire life-cycle and distributes the information to various entities, such as supplier management, product development management, service/dealership management, customer relations departments and production facilities to improve vehicle quality and reliability.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Vehicles employ many systems, sub-systems and components. Each of these systems, sub-systems and components typically have a certain useable life, and may fail for one reason or another during operation of the vehicle. Because failure of the various systems, sub-systems and components may be inconvenient, or otherwise, for a vehicle owner, it may be desirable to predict the life of the various systems, sub-systems and components so that appropriate maintenance and/or part replacement can be performed before the system, sub-system or component actually fails, thus increasing the quality or perceived quality of the vehicle.
Much information can be obtained from vehicle systems, sub-systems and components at different locations associated with the vehicle and its production and use, such as dealerships, suppliers, engineering production managers, customer relations personnel, etc. Thus, it may be desirable to provide a process for obtaining information from all of the various locations related to vehicle design, development and use so that information concerning the vehicle systems, sub-systems and components can be better obtained, and better decisions concerning the diagnosis and prognosis of the systems, sub-systems and components can be provided.
Typical vehicle analysis concerning the failure of systems, sub-systems and components has to do with diagnostics where once such a system, sub-system or component has failed, appropriate personnel typically determine the root cause of the failure. Vehicle manufacturers would be better served to identify the prognosis of the various systems, sub-systems and components to predict their useful life and take necessary action prior to the system, sub-system or component actually failing. In other words, it may be desirable to determine the state of health of the various systems, sub-systems and components on a vehicle. Further, such prognostic types of analysis will have significant benefits from a cost perspective where instead of replacing systems, sub-systems and components, the system, sub-system or component may be able to be fixed prior to it failing.